The North Queensland Cowboys have won their first piece of silverware at the Auckland Nines

IT wasn’t the fairytale ending that the partisan New Zealand crowd were hoping for, but there was still a touch of romance about North Queensland taking home the inaugural NRL Auckland Nines trophy at Eden Park yesterday.

In their 20th year anniversary, the Cowboys finally have a piece of silverware sitting inside their trophy cabinet after knocking over the Brisbane Broncos in the final.

It was apt too, that minus the best player in the world and their inspirational captain Johnathan Thurston, the Cowboys flourished on a stage that was always designed to showcase rugby league’s entertainers.

Racing in three tries to one over a Broncos side that lost the brilliant Ben Barba before the match with an ankle injury, a gutsy Cowboys outfit will depart Auckland today with a winning prize money cheque of $370,000

The title victory also marked a confidence-building start to the career of rookie Cowboys coach Paul Green, whose side managed to make the final, after beating heavy favourites Warriors in the semi-final.

They also managed to regain their composure after losing two of their pool matches over the weekend.

The Cowboys celebrate their Auckland Nins win.Source:Getty Images

“It’s really pleasing we’re off to a good start to the year, hopefully we’ll use that as a springboard to the season proper,’’ Green said.

“Its been a wonderful weekend its been well-organised and to win it showed a lot of ticker, a lot of guts in the way we played particularly those last two games.

“The boys are over the moon about it.

“People talk about the Nines being a free-flowing, attacking game but I think we really valued our defence particularly against the warriors, they were a big side with plenty of second phase.

“We knew that defensive attitude would hold us in good stead and that’s what won it for us, I reckon.’’

While a raft of serious injuries, including the Cowboys own Lachlan Coote’s season-ending knee injury, will now dominate radio talkback and whether the two-day Nines format should change next year, there was no denying the tournament also unearthed a fresh stock of rising stars.

While the Warriors Shaun Johnson was easily the best player of the tournament and deserved MVP award winner, the Cowboys Zac Santos, Kyle Feldt, Curtis Rona and the nephew of former club hero Matt Bowen, Javed Bowen also announced themselves as future NRL favourites.

James Tamou and Tariq Sims celebrate their victory.Source:Getty Images

Rona bagged a double in their 16-7 final victory over the Broncos, while winger Antonio Winterstein also crossed for a try.

“I think the whole tournament was really good for those guys, mentally having to back-up,’’ Green said.

“It was really good.’’

The Broncos advanced to the final after beating Cronulla in the semi final.

While Brisbane coach Anthony Griffin suggested organisers look at staging the Nines over four days next year in a bid to ease the toll on players, Broncos captain Corey Parker said he would look back at the Nines in a favourable light, praising the tournament organisers for allowing the players and coaching staff the best opportunity to aid recovery between matches despite the obvious challenge of catering for the needs of 256 players.

“It has been a fantastic initiative for the game,’’ Parker said.

“Everyone was dealt the same sort of thing and the recovery we do after the game keeps us where we are at.

“Going up and down, up and down does take its toll, but I can’t fault the tournament it’s been fantastic.’’

One of the leading coaches under pressure in 2014, Griffin added that the Broncos performance was hopefully a sign of things to come.

“It’s better winning than losing,’’ Griffin said.

“The guys got a lot out of that.

“The longer the day went, it was nice to be winning, but I was just holding my breath with injuries.